Guam beats Fiji for gold in Pac Games 3-on-3 basketball

After losing to Fiji in the men’s basketball gold medal game, Team Guam had a lot to prove – and they did. In the 2023 Pacific Games men’s 3-on-3 basketball gold medal game Saturday in Honiara, Solomon Islands, Reo Aiken, Ben Borja II, Mark Johnson Jr. and Michael Sakazaki defeated Fiji 19-18.

Now, Guam is the two-time defending champion. “It feels great to win back-to-back gold for 3-on-3. To win it with my brothers feels that much better,” Borja said.

“All the sacrifices and hours we put in the gym showed through our result. For Mike Sakazaki and I, it was special because he and I won gold in 2019. Our bond on and off the court was what pushed us through to win it all.

” Aiken, who nailed five 3-pointers paced Guam’s offense, forcing Fiji to play catch-up. “We were able to just keep playing great defense and keep their main scorers in check,” he said, adding that the win felt extra sweet because Fiji “had their core group of guys from 5-on-5″ and Guam “really wanted that win, especially against them. ” Borja described the gold medal game as tough, calling it a battle and a grind to the end.

“It was really physical, got a few battle scars but, thankfully, we all played for each other and had each other’s back,” he said. With so much for which to draw inspiration, such as the loss to Palau in 3-on-3 competition and the loss to Fiji in the 5-on-5 gold medal game, Borja told The Guam Daily Post that “it was just playing for each other and knowing our strengths – that’s what put us on top. ” Aiken said that winning gold took a bit of the edge off losing to Fiji in 5-on-5 but not all of it.

“It does, in a way, make up for it, but it doesn’t fill that void because we definitely could have two gold medals right now,” he said. Earlier in the day, in the semifinals, Guam blew out Papua New Guinea 21-4. “Man, we were playing phenomenal defense.

Didn’t let them get any shots at the rim and we didn’t let them get any shots from three, either,” said Guam’s Aiken. “On the offensive end, we were making all of our shots, and they couldn’t stop us from getting to the rim. ” As Guam’s ballers were making a name for themselves at the SIFF Academy, Guam’s track and field star Hugh Kent delivered a powerful performance in the men’s half-marathon.

Kent, who finished the 13-1-mile race in 1 hour, 14 minutes, 53 seconds, shaved nearly three minutes off his personal best and was good enough for a sixth-place finish. “Overall, I was able to run strong throughout the race,” Kent said. “My pace started strong and did slow down towards the last 8 kilometers, but not as much as the other athletes, so I was able to continue pushing and surpass them, bringing my position up.

” As Kent approached the halfway mark, his body was aching, but his mind was strong. “By the 10K mark my calves were hurting, but I’m surprised I was able to keep running until the finish,” he said. Throughout the six days of track and field competition, Kent also competed in the men’s 5K and 10K.

In the 10K, he won the silver medal. Kent is returning with hardware and memories for a lifetime, facilitated by the painstaking effort and kindness of the host nation’s accommodating volunteers. “I really appreciate the friendliness and hospitality that was given to the athletes.

No matter where we were, we were always greeted with smiles and positivity,” Kent said. “The Solomon Islanders worked tirelessly to develop and maintain the necessary infrastructure to welcome the athletes, and I think they did a very great job with that. ”.